Electric heating-pad.



No. 729,222. 7 PATEFTED MAY 26, 1903.

W. RIOKARDS. ELECTRIC HEATING PAD.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1901.

H0 MODEL.

Patented May 26, 1903,

PATENT Orrlcn,

WILLIAM RICKARDS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC HEATING-PAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,222, dated May 26,1903.

Application filed April 29,1901. Serial No. 58,068. (No model.)

To (0U whom it may concern,

Be it known that I, WILLIAM RIOKARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Electric Heating-Pads, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an electric heating-pad, made for the purpose of assisting in healing diseases; and the object thereof is to produce electric pads which can readily be attached to or detached from the incandescent-lamp socket, by means of which an invalid may be treated by electricity and the invention consists of two members, one of which is adapted to be placed 011 one side of the patient and the other member on the opposite side, each membcr made up of aresistance-coil and the coil in one member being a continuation of the other, the ends of the coil having a single connection to the main source from which the current is derived, and the coil of each member enveloped in a heat-retaining envelop for preventing radiation of the heat generatedand confining it to the body of the portion under treatment. This is accomplished by the de vice described herein, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which is a plan view of my heating-pad and its connection.

Myheating-pad is preferably formed of two pads or pieces of textile fabric A and B, through which and as a part thereof is woven a continuous fine insulated copper or other wire 0, which is electrically connectedat its respective ends with the contact-makers D and E, respectively, which are securely attached one to each pad. This insulated wire passes from one pad to the other and is of sufiicient length to reduce the current to produce the required degree of heat in the heating-pad, which depends upon the use to which the pads are applied. It is strengthened where it passes from one pad to the other by a supporting cord or wire I, which should be of a sufficient length to enable one pad to be placed upon one part of the body and the other pad on any other part of the body. The contact makers are connected by suitable bindingscrews, one to the wire F and the other to the wire G, which are connected one to the positive and the other to the negative pole of the contact-plug II, which is adapted to make contact in the socket of the lamp-fixture (not shown) with the circuit-wires.

In weaving the pads, I find that one or two threads of cotton between the insulated wire produces very satisfactory results, and that the length should be greater than the width, with the wire woven transversely, as this form of construction produces apad which contacts betterwith the body than it would do if the wire were woven longitudinally in the pads.

I11 the use of my heating-pad the contactplug is inserted in the lamp-socket in the usual manner and the current is turned on when the pads are placed in such position on the body as will impart the desired heat.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters 'Patent, is

1. An electrotherapeutic device comprising a plurality of flexible heating members, 7

flexible radiating resistance means carried thereby, the resistance means in one member being a continuation of that in the preceding member whereby the means in each member are connected in series, an independent flex ible connection extending between the members, the end members provided with independent terminals, a main source of supply, and flexible means connecting the main source of supply with the terminals of the heating members, the flexible means capable of connection with and disconnection from the source of main supply,

2. In an electrotherapeutic apparatus, a main source of supply, a heating device containing radiating resistance-wires, independ ent terminals therefor, flexible connections from the main source of supply to the independent terminals, the body of the heating device and the wires being subdivided into separately-connected sections.

3. An electrotherapeutic pad constructed in separate sections, each section containing radiating resistance conductors, suitable terminals for each section, means for connecting the sections with one another, a main source of supply and flexible means for Te movably connecting the main source of sup ply and the terminals.

4;. An electrotherapeutic pad constructed in two or more parts or sections, each section comprising an insulating medium, radiating conductors included therein, independent terminals therefor, and a connecting device extending between the adjacent sections Whereby to join them to one another.

5. In an electrotherapeutic apparatus, the combination with a plurality of separate sections, each section containing radiating resistance-conduetors, separate contact makers or terminals to which the ends of the radiating conductors are secured, flexible means for connecting the sections with one another,

7 WILLIAM RICKARDS.

Vitnesss G. Itj HARPHAM,

AMELIA C. RICKARDS. 

